Nonskid device



March 6, 1928. 1,661,280

F.O.WELLS NONSKID DEVICE Filed March 5, 1927 n MI I i a J INVENTOR)Fran/I 0 MIL;

A TTORNEY.

' i -This'inventionrelates to improvements in noneskid devices for;attachment to ;.the wheels of amotorvehicle and particularly to PatentedMar- 6,:1 928. g

\ mm was? d mm; im aqnvsms ii *no'NsKIn' ani A licantfi1ediMarchT3,'1927." Serial No. 172,819.

that part ofv the device that extends: transversely across the; treadportion of the tire and the ends of whichdevice. are attached to theusual SlClOCllfliDSr- Y, i

An object of the invention the machine-from skidding or moving-side wiserelative to the .line. of motion. of the vehicle and at the sametime,elfectuallyoperate to propel themachine either forwardly orrearwardly. @Heretofore, it has been a common practiceto employtransversely dis posedtirechains,lthat' are made up of a se- It has beenfound from actual practice that these links do not ries of twistedlinks.

prevent the vehicle from skidding or moving sidewise relative to thedirection. in which the machine is travelling or mother words, they arepractically useless to prevent skidding. w

The present invention, broadly considered, comprlses a series ofconnected plates of considerable width, which are formed with face ofeach of these plates is made slightly I rectangular shaped openingsneartheir opposite ends. Intermediate'of theseopenings there are locateda plurality of projections which projections are similar in shape to thecalk of a horses'shoe. These plates are connected together, end to end,by means of flat shaped links which substantially fill the rectangularshaped openings but permits each plate to bend or move relative to itsadjacent plate thereby permitting the cross chain ordevice, as a wholeto'bend when placed transversely of the tire but will prevent the platesfrom being moved sidewise relative to each other, or in other words toaccurately and constantly maintain the alignment of the seriesof'plates. The inner sur concave in order tomore or less accurately fitthe curvature of the mm. The extreme ends of the plates in which therectangular shaped openings are. formed extend slightly outward awayfrom the surface of the tire:

when in use. I s

For the urpose of providing. an effective non-skid p ate, a webor rib islocated between the projections and the transverse space between thesewebs is left open at its ends for the purposeof preventing theaccumulation of dirt or other foreign 'matter from becomingpackedtightly into the infor which it is intended.

is to provide a non-skid devicetthat will positively prevent closed:orrecessed; space which would in'-effeet render the =plateiuseless for thepurpose Referring tothedrawings Fig. 'l.is a plan view of a portion-ofthe tread :of. a tire with several of. the plates located across ortransversely thereof Fig. .2 is a planiviewoffthe cross-chain Y removedfrom 1 the tire-and illustrating the manner of connectingthe platestogether,

endito end.

'Fig. 3 iswapartialsectional o 'f two I I of the :plates clearly;illustrating the flat links-l ifor' coupling the, adjacent platestogether, and

plates removed or detachedfrom the other plates. Referring to thedrawings in detail:

F'g. 4; 1s ,a perspectiveview of 'one of the 1 designates a portion'ofthe tread of a a tire; 2' the series of plates which form the mainportion of the cross chain. plates are each formed with rectangular orelongatedshaped openings 3 and- 4 near their opposite ends. The centerportions of These the plates 2 are made slightly concave as indicated inFig. 3 at'5 and theiropposite ends are curved slightly upward as shownat 6 and 7, as indicated with-relation to the dotted line 8. f9, 10, 11and 12 indicate projectionswhich extend upward from the outer surface ofthe plates 2. These projections are substantially truncated cones. '13an'd'14 designate ribs or webs-which are integrally formed with theprojections 9 and 10 and I 11 and 12 respectively, as shown. These websserve the additional. purpose of. not

only strengthening the projections but theyoperate to prevent lateral orskidding movefades '16 of the plates 2.

the elongated openings 3 and 4 as shown'in- Fi s. 2 and 3 and around thecurved sur- It should also be observed in Fig. .3 that L the lowersurfaces 17 of the flat links 16 are i V substantially in the same planeas the line 8.

By employing links 16 Whichsubstantia'lly fill the openings 3 and 4, itis evidentthat the plates 2 cannot bemoved laterally of their length butare"permittedto'"bend"f1'ely over the curved surfaces of the tireandalso to bend'when in use. The series o f plates fl are attached tothe sidewehains of the motor vehicle by means of the end links 163 and164, the iendsof Whichxare bent 'to make the connection with theisideuchains, which side chains are indicated in Figzl at 18.

The plates :2'are'o't substantial width t provide a broad bearingsurface on the tire. The :extreme ends 19 ofvthezac'ljacent plates'contact with each :other to =pi-teventrlateral displacement of theplate.

' It is to be i understood that do notil imit myself i to the use offlat links flier-connecting the-plates 2 together as other and lana'logous link structures anay be employed ias desired or "found necessaryior connecting the plates so that they may fold s'longitudinal'l y WhatI claim is: i 1

f 1.- A plate for a non-skid tire chain comprisinga member which-isiformed with a" plurality of centrally ileealted projections on itsouter surface, transversely located webs for connecting the projectionsthat'are 10- -but=leaving a transversely locatedchannel orpassagewayacross the outer surface of-the plate. w

" 2. A plate for a non-skidtire chain com-- r'prising 'auneniber whichis stormed With two (pairs of'truncated projections on itsouteriee'nt'ral sunfaic'e, 'tramsversely located Webs tor-connectingithe z-proj ectionsthat are "located adjacent-the 'opposite ends theplate but leaving a transr'ersety rlocatetl clear and unobstructedchannel or passageway across' theyouter :surfacelo'l the :iplate. V

' '3. Ap la'teIfm' a tire icross chain which nomprris'es a m'emiber thatis slightly fGOIlGHVEe a r FRANK

